Tensions were high at the Penn Squash Center early Sunday afternoon, as No. 2 men’s squash (9–1 overall, 5–1 Ivy League) faced off against the No. 1 Penn Quakers (16–0, 6–0) to determine the Ivy League champion. The Tigers fell 6–3 in a hard-fought energetic affair that served as a more than entertaining undercard for the Super Bowl.
Head coach Sean Wilkinson offered an optimistic takeaway from the day. “Sunday showed that we are good enough to win Nationals in four weeks,” he wrote to The Daily Princetonian after the game.
“We have a lot of work to do, and Penn has clearly set the standard this season,” Wilkinson continued. “It’s up to us to take the next four weeks and work hard. We can’t hide from a tough loss, but Penn should be congratulated.”
The Quakers, who defeated the Tigers in the national semifinals on their way to a national championship last year, have continued their success this year. Throughout their undefeated season, they are yet to drop more than three matches against any school.
Princeton struggled at the top end of the lineup, losing all five of the top lines 3–0. However, the Orange and Black showed valuable depth further down the lineup — taking three of the last four lines.
At line seven, first-year Aly Ibrahim emerged victorious in the only five-game match of the day, a rousing back-and-forth affair. He knocked off Abdelrahman Dweek of Penn 3–2 (10–12, 11–7, 7–11, 11–6, 11–5).
Ibrahim attributed his win to the huge amounts of training and practice the team puts in throughout the year.
“Competing at this level means every game is demanding, so I had to push past the nerves and trust the extensive training we had put in over the past months,” he told the ‘Prince.’
The Penn Squash Center was full of parents, students, and fans for the most anticipated matchup of the season. Ibrahim, however, had been preparing for this type of environment the whole season.
“Penn made the conditions particularly challenging for us, but I remained focused on my goal — playing my best against a formidable opponent,” he explained. “At the start of the season, I was determined to maintain consistency throughout every match, striving to be a player my team could rely on in any situation.”
Ibrahim fell behind two games to one in a match that was highlighted by long points, exquisite drop shots, and frequent tense exchanges with the referee over let calls and stroke calls. He found his form in the fourth game and was able to grind out a win.
Wilkinson raved about Ibrahim’s performance, writing to the ‘Prince’ that “Aly is simply underrated. He’s a very unassuming, humble guy, but he can flick a switch and become intensely competitive.”
“He was incredibly impressive on Sunday against a very good Penn player. It was an emotional, highly physical match and he came through brilliantly,” he continued. “Very impressive first year so far.”
The Tigers also received a strong showing from sophomore Hollis Robertson, playing at the number five line. He took down Penn’s Dana Santry in a quick three-game match.
Robertson has been dealing with injuries and had not played since the Tiger’s Jan. 17 match against Cornell. He was moving cleanly on Sunday, controlling the point from the middle of the court using deft touch on shots into the corners.
“He’s had a tough year with injuries and Sunday was one of many steps to get him back to full fitness,” said Wilkinson to the ‘Prince.’ “He came through with flying colors, but we’ve got to manage him carefully through the rest of the year.”
The Tigers will have one final regular season match against the No. 5 University of Virginia Cavaliers (8–3 overall) at home on Sunday, Feb. 23. Looming over that match will be the Collegiate Squash Association nationals two weeks later.
“Looking ahead, I believe our team has the potential to make a deep run at nationals in March, and I am eager to put in the work necessary to prepare for what will be a highly competitive tournament,” said Ibrahim to the ‘Prince.’
The Tigers will likely be the second-seeded team, which could potentially set up a rematch with the likely one-seeded Quakers in the national finals — the fourth matchup in the past two years.
For now, the team will be focused on the upcoming match at home against Virginia and on building energy into the last stretch of the season — and not dwelling on the recent loss.
“The energy within our team — both among the players and coaches — remains at an all-time high, and we are eager to come back even stronger,” wrote Ibrahim to the ‘Prince.’ “Our season has been exceptional so far, and the progress we have made collectively is undeniable; one setback does not define us.”
Harrison Blank is a head Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send all corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com
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